Machine for steaming hats



2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

- :1---- ..,il.----.2--------l.--!---- J an. 9, 1923.

w.. WILSON. MACHINE FOB STEAMING HATS.

FILED OCT. 6. |921.

Jan. 9, 1923.A

W. WILSON.

MACHINE FOR STEAMING HATS.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

FILEDOCT. 6, i921.

Patented dan, 9, 1923. p

realistewintrAivr WILSON, on snLMA, ALABAMA.

`MACHINE non sinner/UNG HATS.

Application filed October 6,-192l. I Serial No. 505,742.

full, clear, andexact description, reference being had to the4accompanying drawings, forming` part ofrtlns specification.

s/[y invention4 'relatesfto machines for steaming the crowns and brimsof hats, and y it has for its object kto furnish a machine with whichallkinds and shapes of hats of any materialcan be conveniently andeffectivelysteamed,` all wrinkles removed and the sizing of the `hatbothfor crown and brim set andvhardened andthe hatturned sisting of coveringthe hatwith a dampened cloth and then applying heated handdrons to drivesteam into the hat and obtain the necessary pressure to block the hat.Necessari'ly this operation is slow and tedious, lacks 'uniformity andcovers only a portion of 'the khat at aftime. instead of applying theheat and pressure byhot irons.,r sand bags heated bysteam are alsoemployed with, possibly, greater uniformity of operation and'lessliabilityof omitting a portion of the hat, but with little saving oftime 'and labor. y v

One of the important features of my invention consists in providing a,hollow bell ofv a size to accommodate all shapes and sizes of blocksandy forms whether of vstandardor special malre,'in which the steam' canbe distributed uniformly `and instantaneously to all parts of the 'hatcrown and also to the brim by the controlof suitable and convenientvalves. i

'Another feature of my improvements consists in the construction of aspecially designed band block withr which the leather sweatband of thehat may be protected from the direct application of the steam.

These features of improvement and other details of advantage will bemore particularly pointed out and claimed in the course of thedescription thatvfollows.

In .the drawings,

Figure l is la side elevation of my im. proved machine.`

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the same 60 with the flange block andstand removed.

.Figure 3 is a cross section through the main standard. f

Figure 4 is an enlarged'vertical section of the steaming bell.

Figure 5 is, asimilar section of the flange block and band block.

The machine .ismounted yon a suitable standard or support l providedwith abroad baseQ, and the standard is preferably Aa 7o hollow tube.Atits upper end the `standard supports a bell-shaped structure which isriveted or Otherwise secured thereto. y vThis bell structure comprisesan router .cast or stamped metal shell 3 and-an inner 75 `spun orstamped metal shell 4. The youter shell is solid while the inner shellis pro# .vided with a large number of small holes 5.

Both inner and outer shells haveoutwardly curved iianges G, 7, and theyare united S0 together with a machined `ioint at S., -The hollow hangedportion of the bell is-sepa-- rated from the main portion by a partitionor inner-rib `9l which makes a machinedjoint at' 10 with the innershell. y The two parts of 85 the hollow bell are further held apart andbraced by the bolt and nut l1.

y Steam is suppliedto these two compartments through the steam supplypipe l2, which, for convenience and protection of the operator, passesup through the tubular standard l andconnects through branch 13 with lacoil of pipe 14, preferably of two coils, which is mounted in the uppercompartment ofthe bell. `Another branch l5 95 from this steam supplypipe supplies .steam to preferably a single coil 16 `mounted in thefiange' compartment of thev bell. Both of these coils of pipe areplugged at their outer ends and Iboth coils are provided with holes CIK16a along their respective lengths for the delivery of steam into theirrespective steam chambers, as desired.

The steam supplied to the coils is regulated and controlled by valves1T., 18, which are operated by handles 19, 19g, extending out throughthe bell.

hlounted to slide vertically on suitable vertical guides 20, 20, in thestandard 1 is a table 21, which coupled by connecting; bars 22 with afoot treadle 23, so that the latter can be readily raised and lowered bythe operator. n

On this table is mounted a stand 2d adapted to support ,an annular formor block 25, of any desired size for the hat under treatment. lheseblocks are formed with a. curved', upper surface 26 of the conformationof the brim of the hat and known as ilange blocks and are of variousstandard sizes. To support the inside of the hat, when the brim isundertreatmeut. also provide what is known as a band bloclr 27, whichblocks are also made of standard sizes, and for the crown oft' the hat.i furnished. These blocks for crown, band blocks. flange bl(` :ifs andflange stands are all of standard sizes for the various sizes of hats,or special sizes can be furnished. The machine, however, does notrequire blocks or forms specially for its use. The. object is tofacilitate the use of standard equipment which is found in every hatshop.

lVith the band blocks heretofore in use linger holes are usuallyyprovided which allow steam to enter the inside of the crown of the hatwhichiis, of course, detrimental, moreover no provision is made with theordinary band blocks to take care of the sweatband, and? to prevent thesteam from direct action on the band. l' have in this connection madevaluable improvenients in the band block construction, as illustrated inthe drawings.

The band block is made of some suitable non-corrosive metal composition,a. solid plate BO, light and thin as compatible with the necessarystrength and with a circular boss 81 for a hand hold instead. of theusual finger openings. The plate is provided with the annular flange 32to cover the sweatband and an annular lip 33 is formed around theperiphery of the block of a size to receive the sweatband. These lipsare formed of various sizes depending on whether a simple sweatband isto be protected or sweatbands with reeds. In the drawings (Figure 5) lhave shown the band block broken away, and on one side, the lipfor areedsweatband, and on the other, the lip for a simple band. Of course, itwill not be understood that the same hat has both bands.

lith my machine, as above described, hats can be steamed and handledwith great rapidity and uniformity, and results can be obtained inshaping, sizing and fitting of hats, which are diliicult or impossibleto attain by the devices and methods now .in use.

l will readily accommodate all standard shapes and sizes of blocks andforms now in use and also special blocks and forms.

ln operation the hat is placed on the hat bloclr for crowns of the sizerequired, drawn down and tied with hat cord; it is then placed inposition in the bell either by raisingthe table or held by hand. T ieoperator then manipulates the valve handle 19 admitting steam to thecoil 14, which fills the steam chamber and enters uniformly through theperfo ations in the inner shell, softening; uniformly the entire crownof the hat. The form with the hat is then removed, the wrinkles pressedout and the process repeated until the hat is perfectly fitted to thecrown block. The hat is then removed from the block and the brim fittedover the proper sized flange block, the band block inserted, theassembly placed in the flange stand and the table raised by depressing;the foot treadle, bringing' the hat into position with the brim pressedagainst the bell flange. rlhe operator then opens the steam valve 18admitting' steam to coil 16 and thence the steam is driveny directlyagainst the brim, so that one steaming is usually sumcient for the brim.

-laving thus described my invention, what l claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. ln an apparatus of the character described, the combination with asuitable support, of a steaming bell mounted thereon of a size toreceive freely the crown of a hat, the bell comprising an imperforateouter shell and an inner shell perforated throughout and spaced apart toform a steam chamber with perforated steam pipe coiled therein` and asteam supply pipe connected therewith with valve to control the same,whereby steam may be uniformly distributed in the interior of the bell.

2. ln an apparatus of the character described, the combination with asuitable support, of a steaming bell mountedl thereon of a size toreceive freely the crown of a hat, the bell comprising an imperforateouter shell and an inner shell perforated throughout and spaced apart toform a steam chamber 'ith an imperforate partition dividing the steamchamber, intoa crown and a brim section, separate perforated steam pipescoiled in said sections with a common steam supply pipe for both coilsandl separate valves for said coils, whereby steam may be distributeduniformly to either section.

3. ln an apprratus of the character described. the combination with anannular flange block and a vertically movable table cent throughoutwhereby the brims of hats mayv upon which same is mounted, of a steamingbell of a size to receive freely thecrown of ahat, the bell with ahollow, curved flange to conform to the flange block, with a perforatedcoil 0f steam" pipe within said flanged portion, and with the surfaceadjathe block perforated uniformly be subjected to the direct action ofSteam.

Ll. yInl-an apparatus of the character described, vthe combination withan annular flange block and a vertically movable table upon which sameis mounted, of a steaming bell of a size to receive freely the crown ofa hat` the bell with a hollow, curved flange to Y conform to the flangeblock, Vwith a perforated coil of steam pipe within said flangedportion,- and with the surface adjacent the throughout, whereby thebrims of hats may be subjected to the direct action of steam,

block perforated uniformly and a band block provided with a peripherallip to protect the sweatband from contact vflange'blo'cl: and avertically movable table upon which same is mounted, of a steaming` bellof a size to receive freely the crown of a hat, the bell with a hollow,curved flange to conform to the flange block, with a perforatedcoil ofsteam pipe within said flanged portion, andwith the surface adjacent theblock perforated uniformly throughout, whereby the brims of hats may besubjected to the direct action of steam, and a band blockprovided with aperipheral lip to protect the sweatband from contactwith the live steam,said band block being imperforate and having a boss to serve as a handhold in inserting the block.

WILLIAM WILSON.

